Helping your business grow, whether through optimising processes, upskilling your people or reducing costs through membership benefits – The Chamber connects you to funding, skills, new people, expert help and provides a platform where you and your business can flourish.

Whether you want to network, exhibit, learn more about what’s going on in your sector through industry forums – the Chamber helps you access hundreds of opportunities to meet and connect with businesses in the East Midlands every year.

To stay competitive means you need good people, with the right skills who feel valued and appreciated – the Chamber can provide you with expert analysis of your current situation, connect you with fully- or partially-subsidised training or even introduce you to new talent.

Reaching and influencing the right person, whether it’s your industry sector peers, your local MP, a specific Government department or simply people that need what you do – the Chamber is an authoritative body which has the status and mandate to ensure your voice is heard by the right people.

Whether you’re already exporting or planning your first overseas ventures, we can help you reach new markets to increase your potential profits and revenue. Through our extensive programme of trade missions, training courses, seminars and business clinics, we help you target the regions most likely to achieve results.

Contact us now to find out about the information, advice and support we offer to individuals and businesses.

The Chamber is the leading business organisation in the East Midlands. With a growing membership of more than 4,100+ businesses and 3,000 affiliates, it is the second largest Chamber of Commerce in the country.

Futurologist Jason Bradbury will be our headline speaker at our Annual Dinner 2019, he will cover topics including the evolution of technology and it's implications for the modern world. 👩🏾‍💻 Book tickets here. 👉 bit.ly/2Egf7lppic.twitter.com/bvF7fttbyK

Business Network Magazine

The Chamber’s highly respected flagship publication is produced ten times a year and read by thousands of business people throughout the region – with news from members featuring prominently.

Monday, 20 November 2017

Delivering Brexit message to the heart of Parliament

As part of its campaign to make sure the needs of business drive the UK’s Brexit negotiations, East Midlands Chamber is leading a deputation to deliver the message to the heart of Parliament.

About eight regional businesses, particularly those importing from or exporting to the EU, will be joining the Chamber at Westminster for a round-table discussion with MPs to talk about their fears for trading post-Brexit.

Philip Rycroft, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union, is due to take part in the discussion, which is being hosted by Alex Norris Labour MP for Nottingham North. Chris Leslie, Labour MP for Nottingham East, was the sponsor for the Westminster visit.

With little progress being made in Brexit talks, businesses are becoming increasingly concerned about the possibility that tariffs could be imposed on imports and exports, which could drive up the cost of UK-made goods sold in the EU and make Britain less competitive.

The export of goods from the East Midlands to the EU was worth £17.7bn in 2016.

The companies joining the deputation on Thursday 23 November include some of the most prolific exporters from the East Midlands and will provide strong cross-sector input to the debate.

Others taking part in the Westminster visit include members of the Chamber’s International Trade Steering Group and national business award nominees in the international trade category.

Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at East Midlands Chamber, said: “We’re 17 months on from the Brexit vote, eight months on from Mrs May invoking Article 50 to trigger the UK’s exit from the EU and with just 16 months left before we hit the two-year deadline to secure a deal absolutely nothing has been agreed.

“The EU wants to talk only about how much money the UK will pay. The UK wants to talk about trade agreements, citizens’ rights, the customs union and other important things and is looking at potential trade deals with non-EU countries.

“Business wants guidance on what trading conditions will be like after 29 March 2019, whether they will still be able to supply EU countries without being hit by World Trade Organisation-prescribed tariffs and whether they’ll still be able to buy raw materials from EU sources tariff-free.

“They need to know whether the EU’s negative stance is going to lead to them being chucked out of EU-based firms’ supply chains or whether they will need to establish new supply chains for their own manufacturing processes and whether they will still be able to ship goods freely through the customs union.

“It’s essential that our MPs get behind business and help them deliver this message to the Ministers trying to secure future trade agreements with the EU, or at the very least a transition period to allow final negotiations to continue beyond next March.”

As a member of the EU, the UK enjoys EU-agreed trade agreements with over 60 countries. After Brexit, the UK’s trade with those countries will be subject to WTO rules unless other agreements can be secured.

Chamber representatives at the event will include Chris, Chief Executive Scott Knowles, Head of International Trade Laura Howard and Business Adviser Giles Jones. Ronan Quigley, Executive Director, Corporate Services will be speaking on behalf of British Chambers of Commerce at the event.

The round-table discussion is due to start at 1.30pm and last for 90 minutes in Room P, Portcullis House, Westminster, and will enable attendees to identify to MPs and any Ministers who attend the barriers to trade they fear could make continuing to export to the EU unsustainable.

Strategic Partners

The Chamber is proud to work in partnership with carefully-selected and universally-recognised regional brands – many of which have a national and international presence - and the largest employers across the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.

Patrons

If you want to expand your reach in the East Midlands, then becoming a Chamber Patron is a shrewd move. It enables you to mix with the regions leading businesses at exclusive events, gain insight into what's going to happen and helps raise you profile on multiple levels.

Strategic Partners

The Chamber is proud to work in partnership with carefully-selected and universally-recognised regional brands – many of which have a national and international presence - and the largest employers across the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.

Patrons

If you want to expand your reach in the East Midlands, then becoming a Chamber Patron is a shrewd move. It enables you to mix with the regions leading businesses at exclusive events, gain insight into what's going to happen and helps raise you profile on multiple levels.